quote:Japanese astronaut Takao Doi is set to throw a boomerang inside the International Space Station in March to test how it flies, after receiving training from a world boomerang champion, it has been learned.

Two paper boomerangs that Togai made for Doi.

It is thought that gravity is necessary for a boomerang to return to the throwing spot, but it remains unknown how boomerangs fly in space. Doi plans to throw a paper boomerang during a break in construction and other work at Japan's Kibo testing room at the International Space Station in March.

The 53-year-old astronaut decided to test the boomerang after receiving a request from Yasuhiro Togai, 36, a world boomerang champion from Osaka Prefecture who later gave Doi some training.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 30714From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 03-19-2008 06:49 PM
Takao Doi displayed his boomerang during a live broadcast with the Prime Minister of Japan and fellow astronaut Chiaki Mukai.

"This is the boomerang that I brought here. While we are in a very narrow space I can't throw this, but I tried out an experiment the other day and I took it with my video, so I would like to show you later on."

posted 03-19-2008 08:30 PM
My money is on the boomerang not returning unless is bounces off something. But it's a fun idea!

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 30714From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 03-21-2008 01:38 AM
Astronaut Takao Doi "threw a boomerang and saw it come back" during his free time on March 18 at the International Space Station, a spokeswoman at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said on Friday.

"I was very surprised and moved to see that it flew the same way it does on Earth," the Mainichi Shimbun daily quoted the 53-year-old astronaut as telling his wife in a chat from space.

The space agency said a videotape of the experiment would likely be released later.

MCroft04Member

Posts: 1326From: Smithfield, Me, USARegistered: Mar 2005

posted 03-21-2008 10:57 AM

quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:Astronaut Takao Doi "threw a boomerang and saw it come back" during his free time on March 18 at the International Space Station, a spokeswoman at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said on Friday.

So there must be adequate atmosphere in the ISS to affect the boomerang which is basically an airfoil. And apparently "free fall" had little or no effect on it.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 30714From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 03-21-2008 04:26 PM
Hopefully, the video (whenever it is made available) will show more about the nature of the boomerang's flight.